Client Welcome Guide
Please take a few minutes to thoroughly read and understand our session guide. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me, otherwise we'll see you at your session!
If you'd like to use anything from my client closet please notify me 7 days prior, keep in mind I don't work on the weekends. I might be slower at answering
emails, I advise you to plan ahead.
PREPPING YOUR FAMILY, MATERNITY, MOTHERHOOD & MILESTONE
-Feed your children prior to your session to ensure a full belly and a happy child.
-Bring snacks if your child gets hungry easily. I always suggest cheerios or any food that doesn't stain.
-Bring water, kids always seem to get very thirsty during sessions (especially during the warmer seasons).
-Wipe your children's face before starting session to ensure a clean face and to keep my editing as minimal as possible.
-I highly recommend bringing bug spray to keep your kids happy from all the bugs.
-If your children has any "temporary" tattoos and wouldn't like them to show in the photos, please remove them as I will not be editing them out.
-Please remove any hair ties prior from your wrist, no cell phones or wallets in pockets as they add bulk to their pockets.
-If your child takes a nap please have them take a nap before that way they are happy and ready to go when starting. Do your best to keep them awake in the car as well. As a mom and seasoned photographer, I’ve found that when children fall asleep just beforehand, they tend to not want to get their pictures taken or are fussy.
-If you plan on changing your child or yourself on sight please arrive early if an outdoor session.
First and foremost, the experience of taking photos should always be positive and fun! As a parent myself, I know it can be stressful to figure out what to wear. Hopefully, this is where I can take the stress out for you and share ideas on what to wear. Aside from that, what matters is that your family has fun. It's important that I keep your family close together while you keep your children engaged in the fun! This can means tickling, or seeing how they can pile up or hug on mama. In addition, it may also mean allowing your little ones to play with leaves and talk about the color or the shape. Or maybe your little ones just wants to be held and that's completely acceptable. I'm here to document those real life moments for you.
We will begin our session with posed pictures with everyone looking at the camera and once those are complete we can relax a little bit. My favorite images are always the ones where we allow our children to naturally explore and get into something they want to do. When we let our children lead the way, they will naturally be motivated to interact and play, and this helps bring out natural expressions from the child as well.
During your session you will hear me tell you over & over to let your children lead your session, if you allow that we will capture pure magic. we as parents need to learn how let go of our expectations, your children aren't mean't to look at the camera at all times and I don't expect them to, I want them to explore, play & create memories with you. I enjoy capturing those natural, organic memories to tiny details from little toes to smiles, hugs & laughter.
PLANNING OUTFITS
-Choose your color palette first (neutrals, earthy tones are always my favorite)
-Don't match, coordinate
-Layering (depending on weather)
-Fit your style to your location
-Be timeless
-Accessorize (hats are available in my client closet)
-Always start with mom, I love flowy dresses or long skirts (always make sure you feel your best in your outfit)
-Children are so fun to dress, keeping it simple with the outfit and adding a hat, suspenders, cardigan or even long socks with a jumpsuit will always take an outfit to the next level.
-As for dads keeping it simple is best, I always suggest a waffle henley short/long sleeve in the color khaki, cream, beige, rust or brown with either light colored jeans or khaki pants.
Feel free to send me your outfits in a message. I'm more than happy to help if you need it. Again, you’re welcome to use any of my client closet (tons of dresses for mama and cute outfits for babies). I have women sizes S-XL, newborns and up to 12 months
Please check out my website or Instagram highlights to view my client closet here.
Please visit our Pinterest for more outfit ideas here.
Favorite places to shop:
Kids clothes: Joyfolie, H&M, shop James, Zara, target and Amazon (search linen or knit clothing)
Women clothing: Free people, VICI, Balitic Born, H&M, Joyfolie, Amazon
STUDIO POLICIES
-No shoes, please leave them at the entrance. I always love when my clients go barefoot, it's such effortless look. If you'd like to wear shoes, I ask that you bring a separate to wear in the studio that way they are dry and clean. I try my best to keep my studio clean & sanitized as much as possible since I always have babies crawling around.
-If anyone in your family or close circle is sick or has been exposed to any illness, PLEASE reach out to me to reschedule.
-I no longer wear a face mask unless asked to, If you'd like me to wear one please notify me before your session, I respect everyones decisions.
-Please leave my props or headbands be, if you'd like to use anything please let me know and I will get it for you.
-If your child is eating a snack I ask you to watch and clean after them.
PREPPING YOUR BABY FOR NEWBORN SESSION
-Please fully feed your baby right before leaving your home, once you arrive at the studio baby might be hungry again which I encourage mom to feed again to top baby off.
-Please remove all bandaids from your baby prior to your session.
-The morning of your session, please give a warm bath to keep baby relaxed, dress in a loose outfit that zips or snaps up the front with a loose diaper and no tight socks.
-Even if your baby doesn’t typically use a pacifier, I ask that you bring one as they serve as a wonderful distraction for the baby during the session. They are incredibly helpful in keeping your little one happy when moving from pose to pose. Please bring a SOFT pacifier, such as the Soothie brand (without the stuffed animal attached). Pacifiers with a hard outer shell leave marks on the baby’s face.
DURING THE SESSION
If siblings are going to be part of the session, the best method with siblings is to have them come at the start of the session only. Toddlers especially have a difficult time sitting quietly through a newborn session. Parents find the experience much less stressful when one parent or a friend/grandparent cares for the child for most of the session and brings them to the studio for their portion only. If you need to bring your older child for the duration of the session, please plan to keep them entertained with books, iPad/tablet, coloring books, etc. I highly recommend to bring a light lunch for kids that will be staying during the session. I always have snacks, water, and coffee, which you are more than welcome to have some at any time. Please keep in mind that newborn sessions can range anywhere between 2-3 hours which is why I like to start with siblings first to avoid them getting fussy.
I do my best to keep the environment of newborn sessions very calm and peaceful. The more relaxed everyone in the room is, the more relaxed the baby will be. This means pulling out our baby whispering skills, for parents this means relaxing and letting the photography magic happen.
Expect my patience and attention to detail to rule the day. I spend the majority of the session perfecting poses, backdrops, fingers, etc. and I believe these little things are what makes the difference between a snapshot and a work of art featuring your baby.
Safety is my utmost number one top priority when handling your baby, so either mom or dad will be my spotter/assistant. All eyes and are to be kept around baby during posing. If I need help I will ask mom or dad to help. During the session I will be handling and posing baby.
I highly recommend eating a good hearty breakfast before your session. I know this can be a very exciting and stressful time for you, especially when adding sleep deprivation in the mix. As much as my goal is for baby to be comfortable, I also want you to be comfortable and at ease. Having me photograph these precious moments for you, means a lot to me so anything I can do to make it a smooth journey for you, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
Again thank you for choosing Simply Moments Photography to capture these unforgettable memories for a long time to come.